Religion

Annually, the week between Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 is both designated and celebrated as the Week of Christian Unity. Most importantly, it is a week of prayerful recognition of our need to be united and one of petition that we will act positively and consistently to attain that goal. Year after year, we pray for something always hoped for but seldom a global reality. It is a week when our consciences are pricked, our consciousness is raised, and our commitment is recalled.

Tiny, and swiftly changing color to blend with the surroundings, my little friend spread his [with no anatomical accuracy, I’ve designated the gender!] body diagonally across the sill and glass of my bedroom window. He had been a guest for days, perhaps longer. I only noticed him when I saw a shadow scampering across the floor of my closet and noticed it had the shape of an anole—a creature ubiquitous in the Southland.

Tiny, and swiftly changing color to blend with the surroundings, my little friend spread his [with no anatomical accuracy, I’ve designated the gender!] body diagonally across the sill and glass of my bedroom window. He had been a guest for days, perhaps longer. I only noticed him when I saw a shadow scampering across the floor of my closet and noticed it had the shape of an anole—a creature ubiquitous in the Southland.

Everyone knows I love to read. That’s a universal statement. I love to read fiction as well as non-fiction. I love to read about church issues and human-interest stories found in newspapers and magazines. When nothing else is available, I will scan cereal boxes. Everything piques my curiosity, deepens my interest and expands my thirst for understanding. So, when Hubby Dear peers across the room to find my nose buried in a book, he sighs with the knowledge I’ve left this world to find treasures to be claimed and reclaimed in daily life.

Everyone knows I love to read. That’s a universal statement. I love to read fiction as well as non-fiction. I love to read about church issues and human-interest stories found in newspapers and magazines. When nothing else is available, I will scan cereal boxes. Everything piques my curiosity, deepens my interest and expands my thirst for understanding. So, when Hubby Dear peers across the room to find my nose buried in a book, he sighs with the knowledge I’ve left this world to find treasures to be claimed and reclaimed in daily life.

Everyone knows I love to read. That’s a universal statement. I love to read fiction as well as non-fiction. I love to read about church issues and human-interest stories found in newspapers and magazines. When nothing else is available, I will scan cereal boxes. Everything piques my curiosity, deepens my interest and expands my thirst for understanding. So, when Hubby Dear peers across the room to find my nose buried in a book, he sighs with the knowledge I’ve left this world to find treasures to be claimed and reclaimed in daily life.

One of my daily devotionals got me to thinking even more deeply about two realities: peace and justice. I have often struggled to understand their juxtaposition. This lead to me grappling with the need for contemplation as well as action; action as an outgrowth of contemplation. Quickly, I was immersed in a chicken and egg dilemma. Which comes first? How does one achieve a “both/and” posture? The dilemma is ongoing.

It seems eons ago, but only a few weeks have passed since I spent time listening and learning about the reality of homelessness. Thanks to the gift of a small portion of soup and a slice of bread for lunch, I also tasted a tiny fraction of what it means to be hungry. I was among the hundred or so folks who attended the fourth annual Hunger and Homeless Banquet presented by the Brunswick County Homeless Coalition.